Packaging machine



June 12, 1956 J. F. IMBS PACKAGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1953 INVENTOR. JOSEPH F. IMBS June 12, 1956 J. F. IMBS 2,749,687

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 m5 fig w W /7 206 Til 200 W /62 5M FIG. 6.

may I FIG. 5. #5 Z 2 74 34 36 72 74 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH F. IMBS FIG. 4. BY

June 12, 1956 J F. M35

PACKAGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 14, 1953 INVENTOR. .105 E P H F.

IMBS

FIG.II.

I June 12, 1956 J. F. IMBS 2,749,687

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. JOSEPH F. was

FIG. I7. 248 250 United States Patent 2,749,687 i ACKAGING MACHINE Joseph F. Iinbs, Ladue, M0.

Application May 14, 1953, Serial No. 355,109

14 Claims. (CI. 53-59) This invention relates to improvements in packaging machines. More particularly this invention relates to improvements in packaging machines that. can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a container.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a container.

In the manufacture or processing of materials or products, it frequently happens that the materials or products are placed within containers which are in turn packed in larger containers. For example, ground or milled products are customarily placed in sacks or bags, and those sacks or bags are placed inlarger containers such as sacks or cartons. In some instances, the sacks or bags are placed in the cartons or bags by hand, but this is time consuming and expensive. The present invention obviates the time and expense involved in hand packing sacks or bags in a carton or bag by providing a packaging machine which can place a plurality of sacks or bags in a carton or sack. That machine attains the packing which is desired, and it does so without any contact of the sacks or bags by the operator. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a packaging. machine which can place a plurality of sacks or bags in a carton. or sack without requiring the operator to touch the bags or sacks.

The packaging machine provided by the present invention has a delivery platform which can support the carton or sack during the filling operation and which can direct that carton or sack onto a conveyor. That delivery platform is biased for movement to a position adjacent. the discharge spout of the packaging machine of the present invention, and it will remain adjacent that spout and receive the plurality of bags or sacks. Thereafter the weight of the bags or sacks will automatically move the delivery platform downwardly, and as it reaches the bottom of its path of travel, it will automatically tilt to cause the filled carton or sack to slide off onto a conveyor. This arrangement provides positive movement of the delivery platform whenever it is filled and prevents premature movement of that platform. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine which has a delivery platform that is biased for movement to a position adjacent the discharge spout of the packing machine but which is moved away from that discharge spout whenever the desired number of sacks or ba s are introduced into the carton or sack on the delivery platform.

The packaging machine provided by the present invention utilizes a conveyor with a series ofarticle-supporting platforms, and it provides a feeder that moves articles into a position where'they can be picked. up by the platforms on the conveyor. Such an arrangement permits the packaging machine of the present invention to provide automatic handling of the form-retaining articles to be packed thereby. In addition, the present invention has a control circuit for the motive powers of the feeder and of the conveyor, and that. control circuit interrelates those motive powers so the conveyor is stationary when the feeder is operating and so the feeder is stationary when the conveyor is operating. This arrangement pro vides a precise feeding of the conveyor and avoids tearing or breaking of the form-retaining articles to be fed to theconveyor. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor and a feeder therefor which have the motive powers thereof interrelated so the feeder is stationary when the conveyor is operating and so the conveyor is stationary when the feeder is opeiatirig';

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description. 7

In the drawing and accompanying description a preferred form of the invention is shown and described, but it is to be understood that the drawing and accompanying description are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the invention, and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

Inthe drawing, Fig. l is a side elevational view of a packaging machine that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in plan of a portion of the conveyor provided by the present invention, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view in elevation of a portion of the conveyor provided by the present invention, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view in plan' of a portion of the conveyor of Fig. l and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in- Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view, partly in section, of the feeder provided by the present invention, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view in plan showing a part of the elevator provided by the present invention and a part of the feeder provided by the present invention, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 6-6 iirFig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional side view of a portion of the feeder provided by the present invention and it is taken along the plane. indicated by the line 7-7 in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a sectional end view of the portion of the feeder shown. in Fig. 7, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 8-8 in Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is a partially sectioned side view of a portion of the feeder and a portion of the conveyor provided by the present invention and it is taken along the plane 9-9 in Fig. 6,

Fig. 10 is a sectional view in plan of the discharge spout and delivery platform of the packaging machine of the present invention, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 10-10 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional side view of thedischarge spout and delivery platform of the packaging machine provided by the present invention, and it is taken along the planeindicated by the line 11-11 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 12 is an end sectional view of a portion of the discharge spout of the packaging machine of the present invention, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 12-12 in Fig. 11,

Fig. 13 is a partially dotted side view of the delivery platform of the packaging machine of the present invention, and it is taken along the plane 13-13 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 14 is a sectional view in plan of a portion of the delivery platform of the present invention, and it is directedalong the plane which. is denoted by the line 14-14in Fig. 13,

Fig. 15 is a sectional view in plan of another portion of the delivery platform of the present invention and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 15-15 in Fig. 13,

Fig. 16 is an end elevationalview of anotherportio'n of the delivery platform of the present invention, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 1616 in Fig. 13, and

Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram of the control circuit for the packaging machine provided by the present invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 20 denotes the substantially vertically directed legs of a conveyor-supporting structure. These legs are shown as being angles and they are elongated. The legs 20 are four in number and they are joined together at their upper ends by a platform 22. Cross braces 24 are secured to the legs 20 adjacent the bottom thereof, cross braces 26 are secured to the legs a short distance above the cross braces 24, and a cross brace 28 extends transversely of the cross braces 26 and is secured to them. The legs 20, the platform 22 and the cross braces 24 and 26 provide a sturdy conveyor-supporting structure.

A hearing block 30 is mounted on each of the cross braces 24, and those bearing blocks support a shaft 31. A pulley 32 is mounted on the shaft 31 and rotates with that shaft. The bearing blocks 30 will hold the shaft against shifting relative to the cross braces 24. Bearing blocks 36 are mounted on the platform 22 at the top blocks rotatably support a shaft 38. A pulley 34 is mount of the conveyor-supporting structure, and those bearing ed on the shaft 38 and will rotate with that shaft. A sprocket wheel 40 is also mounted on the shaft 38.

A platform 42 is secured to the conveyor-supporting structure-adjacent the top thereof by outwardly extending angles 44 which are secured to the legs 20. The legs 20, the angles 44, and the platform 42 provide a solid foundation for the motor 46. The shaft of the motor 46 is provided with a flexible coupling 48 which is in turn connected to the shaft of a gear box 50. The output shaft of the gear box 50 has a sprocket wheel 52 mounted thereon, and a sprocket chain 54 connects the sprocket wheel 52 with the sprocket wheel 40 mounted on the shaft 38. The energization of the motor 46 will cause rotation of the shaft 38 and the pulley 34 mounted thereon. The gears in the gear box 50 will secure the desired speed of rotation of the shaft 38 and the pulley 34 mounted thereon.

An angle 56 is secured to the bottom of the motor-supporting platform 42 and that angle supports the upper end of an elongated backing plate 58. The bottom of the backingplate 58 is secured to the angle 28 that is in turn secured to the cross braces 26. The angles 28 and 56 solidly hold the backing plate 58 in position relative to the other parts of the conveyor-supporting structure. Au endless belt 60 extends around the pulleys 32 and 34 and is driven by the pulley 34. The endless belt 60 will drive the pulley 32. The endless belt 60 will slip along the surface of the backing plate 58 with very little friction, but the backing plate will hold the belt 60 against movement to the right as viewed in Fig. 1 when loads are applied to that belt. A plurality of platforms are secured to the belt 60, and those platforms have back plates 62 and slot-defining fingers 64. The back plates 62 of the platforms are secured to the endless belt 60 by bolt and nut combinations 62 which extend through the belt and through the back plates 62.

The shafts 31 and 38 are displaced horizontally of each other with the shaft 38 to the right of the shaft 31 as viewed in Fig. l. The backing plate is substantially vertical but the upper end of that backing plate is horizontally spaced to the right of the bottom of that backing plate as viewed in Fig. 1. As a result, the endless belt is inclined slightly from the vertical although it is a substantially vertically directed belt. The fingers 64 of the platforms secured to the belt 60 incline upwardly on the upper side of the belt 68 and coact with the belt 60 to subtend acute angles. Such an arrangement causes formretaining articles placed on the platforms to tilt into e11- gagement with the belt on the up side of the belt, and thus enables the platforms and the belt to carry articles upwardly without risk of those articles falling off of the platforms. A guiding and supporting frame is provided for the articles carried by the platforms and belt, and that guiding and supporting frame protects passersby from contact with the belt and the platforms thereon and also provides further assurance that articles carried by the belt and platforms will remain on the platforms. That guiding and supporting frame has a plurality of U-shaped loops 68 secured to the legs 20 and has a plurality of vertically directed stringers 70 secured to the loops 68. The lefthandmost stringer 70 in Fig. l terminates a short distance below the bottom loop 68 to permit the introduction of form-retaining articles onto the platforms secured to the belt 60.

A chute 72 is provided for the conveyor of the present invention and that chute is adjacent the pulley 34 at the top of the conveyor-supporting structure. stiffening angles 74 are secured to this chute 72 and they are secured to the platform 22 at the top of the legs 20. The chute 72 is open at the lefthand end thereof to receive articles carried on the platforms of the belt 60, and that chute has a plurality of slots 76 at the righthand side thereof to accommodate the fingers 64 of the platforms on the belt. The slots 76 permit the fingers 64 of the platforms on the belt to pass downwardly from the chute but will retain and support any articles carried upwardly by the platforms on the upside of the belt 60. Those articles will tend to slide downwardly through the chute as the platforms pass dead center and they will slide over the slots 76 in the bottom of the chute. The chute 72 ex tends downwardly to a level below the platform 22 and is connected to a discharge spout 78. The spout 78 has movable side walls 80 and has fixed front and rear walls 82. A separator 84 is mounted in the discharge spout 78 and that separator is fixedly secured to the front and rear walls 82. The movable side walls can move relative to the separator 84. The front and rear walls 82 are inclined toward each other at the bottoms thereof and the movable side walls 80 are also inclined toward each other at the bottoms thereof.

A transversely extending shaft 86 is mounted for rotation in the upper end of the discharge spout 78 secured to the chute 72. A deflector plate 88, which has a V- shaped interceptor 90 at the bottom thereof, is fixedly secured to the shaft 86. A crank arm 92 is fixedly secured to one end of the shaft 86 and that crank arm is located externally of the discharge spout 78. Rotation of the deflecting plate 88 will be caused by form-retain ing articles which pass through the chute 72 into the discharge spout 78; those articles striking the V-shaped interceptor 90 and causing the deflector plate 88 to rotate to a position where the interceptor is moved out of the path of the article in engagement with that interceptor. The deflector plate 88 will normally be at one side or the other side of the chute 72, as indicated particularly in Fig.

- 11, and at such time will deflect articles to one or the other side of the separator 84. As an article is deflected to one side of the plate 88, it will pass down along the length of that plate and engage the V-shaped interceptor 90 and drive that interceptor downwardly, thus causing the deflector plate 88 to rotate to the opposite position. The next article passing through the chute 72 will then strike the other face of the deflector plate and be directed to the other side of the separator 84. That second article will strike the other side of the V-shaped interceptor 98 and force that interceptor to rotate and restore the deflector plate 88 to its original position. In this way, the deflector plate 88 alternately places articles on opposite sides of the separator 84. A guide bracket 94 is I mounted on the exterior of the chute 72 and a link 96 tomove relative to the bracket 94. A spring 98 encircles the-link 96 and that spring tends to force the crank arm 92 and the deflector plate 88 to one side or the other of dead center. As the deflector plate 88 is moved, the link 96 will be driven by the crank arm 92 and the spring 9 8 will be distorted. Thus, when the deflector plate 88 is moved toward dead center, the spring 98 will be compressed and as the deflector plate 88 starts to move past dead center, the spring )3 will apply a force that will drive the deflector plate 88 all the way to its off-center position. Similarly, when the deflector plate is moved back toward dead center and then is moved past dead center, the spring 93 will again drive the deflector plate 88 all the way to its original off-center position;

A pair of spaced guide channels 100 are disposed to the right of the righthand legs 29, as viewed in Fig. 1. The upper ends of the guide channels 1110 are rigidly secured to the righthand legs 20 by braces 101, and the lower portions of the guide channels 166 are rigidly secured to the righthand legs 20 by the cross braces 24. The angles 166i serve to guide the vertical movement of the delivery platform of the packaging machine provided by the present invention. That delivery platform has spaced longitudinally extending angles 162 which are secured together by transversely extending angles 10-1. The angles 1112 and 1% form a rigid framework for the top of the delivery platform. A longitudinally extending bar 1% is secured to the platform defined by the angles 102 and 1534, and that bar is in register with the guide channels 1&9. A second longitudinally extending bar 108 is disposed below the bar 106 and it is also in register with the guides 16%. Vertically directed angles 109 extend downwardly from the framework defined by the angles 1112 and W4 and hold the bar 108 in fixedly spaced relation below the bar 106. Angles 11% extend from the bar 1118 to the outer ends of the angles 1% and provide a trussing action. Guiding surfaces 112 which can be shoes or wheels are supported by the bars 106 and 108 and are held within the guide channels 161). Thus the delivery platform provided by the present invention is confined for vertical movement and is held horizontal at all times.

An elongated flat bar 11.3 extends longitudinally between the upper ends of the guide channels 100 and rigidly holds those channels a predetermined distance apart. 113 and is rotatable relative to the bar 113. A second pulley 126 is supported by a U-shaped bracket extending from the web of one of the guide channels 100. A cable 128 extends over the pulleys 12 i and 126, and one end of that cable is secured to the delivery platform and the other end of that cable is secured to a heavy weight 130. The weight 131) exceeds the weight of the delivery platform by an amount which is greater than the weight of one article to be packed in a container supported on the delivery platform but less than the weight of two such 1 articles. As a result, the weight 131 can normally hold the delivery platform in its upper position and will continue to hold that platform in that position even after one formn-etaining article is placed in the container carried by that platform. Only after the second such article is placed in that container will the weight 130 be overcome and the delivery platform be permitted to move downwardly.

The delivery platform has a pivot 114 at righthand end thereof, as viewed in Fig. 13, and a section of roller conveyor 116 is supported for rotation by that pivot. A stop 11% is provided at the lefthand end of the delivery platform, as viewed in Fig. 13, and that stop normally supports the lefthand end of the section of roller conveyor. An angle 122 is secured to the lefthand guide channel 100, as viewed in Fig. 13, and that angle serves as a stop for the lefthand end of the section of roller conveyor 116. When the delivery platform is in its upper position, as indicated by solid lines in Fig. 13, the sec- A pulley 12% is supported by a yoke on the bar tion of roller conveyor 116 will be horizontal, and that section of roller conveyor will continue to be horizontal as the delivery platform moves downwardly until the lefthand end of the section of roller conveyor 116 strikes the stop 122. The delivery platform will continue downwardly under its own inertia and the weight of the container thereon, and the pivot 114 will pull the righthand end of the section of roller conveyor 116, as viewed in Fig. 13, down below the level of the lefthand end of that section of roller conveyor. This will cause the container 129 to roll along the roller conveyor section and off on to a section of roller conveyor 155 That section of roller conveyor has a guide structure-157 to'keep the container 120 squarely on the section of roller conveyor 155, and it has a belt 159 which. will move it along the roller conveyor 155. A suitable source of motive power will be provided for the belt 159. The belt 159 will extend around a pulley 161 whichis supported by a shaft 163; and the shaft 163 is supported by the bearing block 165 on the support 167.

The discharge spout has the bottom end thereof of reduced cross section, as by'having the fixed walls 82 and the movable walls inclined inwardly. Thus, it is easy to telescope a container over the bottom of the discharge spout, and as that container is telescoped up over the discharge spout, the walls 80 and 82 will open the bag. or sack 120 to the desired extent. The articles to he placed within the container, sack, or bag 120 will be wider than the space between the separator 84 and the movable walls 81 However, the walls 80 will readily move outwardly to permit the articles to pass between the separator 84 and those Walls. The separator 84 is made quite thin so the articles can substantially fill the full volume of the container 120.

The stop 122 extends outwardly from the lefthand guide channel 101 as viewed in Fig. 13, and it has a leg 132 extending downwardly from the center thereof. The leg 132 and the lefthand guide channel 100, as viewed in Fig; 13, rigidly support the stop 122. An arm 136 extends outwardly from the righthand guide channel 100 as viewed in Fig. 13, and a pedal 138 is secured to that arm by the pivot 140. A latch 142 is also secured to the arm 136- by a pivot 144'. The pedal 138 is in the form of a crank arm, and a link 146 extends between the upper end of the crank arm of the pedal 138 and the upper end of the latch 142. A spring 152 is secured at one end to the arm 136 and is secured at the other end to the pedal 138. This spring tends to rotate the pedal 138 and the latch 142 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 16, but a stop 148 limits the movement of the latch 142 in the counterclockwise direction. A bar 150 is carried by the delivery platform and that bar is in registry with the latch 1 42. As the delivery platform is moved downwardly, the bar 150' will strike the top of the latch 142 and force that latch to rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 16, until the bar 150 is below the upper end of the latch 142; and thereupon the spring 152 will move the upper end of the latch 142 into locking engagement with the bar 150. A downward pressure on the outer end of the pedal 138 will be needed to overcome the tension of the spring 152 to move the latch 142 out of the path of the bar 150 before the delivery platform can again move to its upper position.

A switch 154 is mounted on the lefthand guide channel 100, as viewed in Fig. 13, and that switch has an actuator which is engageable by the elongated rod 156 carried on the delivery platform. When the delivery platform is in its lower position and held by the latch 142, the rod 156 will be out of engagement with the actuator of switch 154, and that switch will be open. However, as the delivery platform moves upwardly toward its upper position, the rod 156 will strike the actuator of switch 154 and will close that switch, and the rod 156 will keep the arisen 7 switch 154 closed as long as the delivery platform is in its upper position.

The numeral 158 denotes the spaced legs of a feeding device used with the packing machine of the present invention. The legs 158 are rigidly secured together adjacent the upper ends thereof by transversely extending angles 160. The angles 160 are bent intermediate their ends so the righthand ends of the angles 160, as viewed in Fig. 1, will be horizontal but the lefthand ends of those angles will incline downwardly. The angles 160 support a guard 162 for the feeder, and that guard will keep articles placed on the feeder from moving off of that feeder. Bearing blocks 164 are mounted at the opposite ends of the angles 160 and those bearing blocks support rotatable shafts 166 and 170. The shaft 166 supports a pulley 168, and the shaft 170 supports a pulley 172. An endless belt 174 passes around the pulleys 168 and 172 and is driven by the pulley 172. This belt will feed articles, placed on it, to the platform of the endless belt 60.

Two L-shaped supports 176 extend between the legs 158 at the righthand end of the feeder, as viewed in Fig. l, and the angles 166. The L-shaped supports 176 carry mounting plates 178 for vertically disposed rollers 180. The rollers 180 are mounted on shafts 182 which extend between the mounting plates 178 and a bracket 184. This bracket 184 is rigidly secured to the cross braces 26 which in turn are secured to the legs 20. The bracket 184 carries bearings that confine and guide the shafts 182. Crown gears 186 are secured to the tops of the shafts 182 and those crown gears are meshed with the crown gears 188 on the shaft 190. The shaft 190 is suitably mounted in openings in the bracket 184. A sprocket wheel 192 is secured to one end of the shaft 190 and a sprocket chain 194 extends from the sprocket wheel 192 to a sprocket wheel 196 on the shaft 198 of gear box 206. A sprocket wheel 200 is also mounted on the shaft 198 and a sprocket chain 202 extends from the sprocket wheel 200 to a sprocket wheel 204 on the shaft 170. Thus the shaft 198 drives the shafts 170 and 190, and thus drives the feeder belt 174 and the feeder rolls 180. The rolls 180 are fixedly secured to the shafts 132 and will respond to the rotation of shaft 190 to force articles into a position adjacent the belt. The feeder rollers 180 also squeeze the articles as they move them onto the belt 60 of the conveyor. The input shaft of the gear box 206 carries a brake drum 208 and has the free end thereof secured to a flexible coupling 214. The shaft of a motor 216 is also secured to that flexible coupling. Accordingly, the motor 216 provides the motive power for the feeder belt 174 and for the feeder rollers 180. An electrically-responsive brake is provided for the brake drum 268 and that brake has the form of spaced braking surfaces 210 which define a yoke. The surfaces 210 are movable by an electromagnetic coil 212. The brake is powerful enough to stop rotation of the shaft of the gear box 2% even though the motor 216 is still energized. The motor 216 is wound so it will not burn up although the rotor thereof is locked against movement when the motor is energized.

A pivot support 218 is mounted on each of the angles 160 and those pivot supports carry pivots 219. The pivots 219 rotatably support the slotted platform 220. The slots in the end of the platform 229 are in'register with the fingers of the platforms 64 on the belt 60, and the slots in the platform 220 are coextensive with the fingers 64. The platform 220 serves as a receiving platform and will receive articles from the feeder belt 174 and will hold those articles until a platform passes upwardly through the slots in the platform 220 and lifts the article off of that platform. A compression spring 222 biases the slotted platform 220 for movement to its upper position, but that spring will yield when an article is placed on the platform 220. the legs 20 adjacent the slotted platform 220 and will be A switch 226 is secured to one of v 8 closed by that platform when the compression spring 222 yields and permits that platform to move downwardly.

A supporting bar 224 is secured to one of the legs 20 and extends outwardly under the platform 220. A latch 228 is pivoted to the arm 22 i and that latch selectively engages a rod 230 on the platform 220. A spring 232 biases the latch 228 into register with the rod 230 on the platform 220 and will hold that latch in engagement with that rod when the rod is below the top of the latch 228. A relay coil 236 has an armature 234 connected to the latch 228. When the relay coil 236 is energized, the relay armature 234 will pull the latch 223 out of register with the rod 230 on the platform 220 and permit that platform to move upwardly under the influence of the compression spring 222.

A bearing housing 238 has spaced legs 240 thereon and that bearing housing supports a turntable 244. A guard 242 is provided for the turntable 244 to keep articles placed on that turntable from moving to the outer periphery of the turntable and falling off. The turntable will be driven by a suitable source of power not shown.

The numerals 248 and 250 denote terminals which can be connected to a source of electric power. Current can fiow from the terminal 250 to a junction 252 and then to the switch 154. If the switch 154 is closed, as it will be when the delivery platform is adjacent the discharge spout 78, current will flow through the motor 216 and thence through the junction 262 to the other terminal 248. This will start the motor 216 and will cause the feeder belt 174 and the feeder rollers 180 to operate. Formretaining articles will have been delivered to the feeder belt 174 by the turntable 244, and the feeder belt 174 will move one of those articles onto the slotted platform 22% The weight of that article will force the end of the platform 220 downwardly and will close the switch 226. Current will then fiow from terminal 248, through junction 262, through junction 264 through switch 226, to junction 258, and then part of the current will flow through the motor 46 to junction 256 while the rest of the current will flow through relay coil 212 to junction 256, and then the combined current will flow from junction 256 through junction 254 and junction 252 to the terminal 250. This will energize the coil 212 and apply the braking surfaces 210 to the braking drum 208 and stop the motor 216, while simultaneously energizing the motor 46. Thereupon the feed belt 174 and the feed rollers 180 will stop but the belt 60 will start to move. A platform on the belt 6t} wil move upwardly and lift the form-retaining article off of the slotted platform 220 and raise that article upwardly. The switch 226 will not be able to open immediately because the latch 228 will be held in engagement with the rod 230 on the platform 220 by the compression spring 232. As a result, the feeder belt 174 and feeder rolls 186 will remain stationary, and the belt 60 will continue to operate, until one of the platforms on the belt 6! strikes the switch 246 and opens it. This switch which is shown in Fig. l and in Fig. 17 is normally open but will be closed momentarily each time one of the platforms on the belt 60 passes it. Momentary closure of the switch 246 will complete a circuit from terminal 248 through junction 262, through junction 260, through relay coil 236, through switch 246, and through the junctions 254 and 252 to the terminal 250. Completion of this circuit will move the latch 228 out of engagement with the rod 230 and permit the platform 220 to move upwardly and let the switch 226 open. As soon as this happens, the motor 46 will stop and the brake 210 will release the brake drum 268 and the motor 216 will again start to rotate. The feeder belt will move another article onto the slotted platform 220 and the switch 226 will again be closed. Thereupon, the brake 210 will stop the motor 216 and the motor 46 will start the belt 60. The article deposited on the platform 220 by the feeder belt 174 and the feed rollers 180 will be lifted by the next platform of belt 60 and will be raised upwardly until the switch 246 is closed by the next succeeding platform. The switch 246 is mounted so the platform which lifts the article off of the slotted platform 220 will move above the top of the next article to be introduced onto the receiving platform 220. The starting and stopping of the motors 216 and 46 will automatically continue until two articles have reached the top of the belt 60 and have passed through the chute 72 and the discharge spout 78 into the container 120 surrounding the walls 80 and 82 of the discharge spout. Those articles will be placed within the container 120 and on opposite sides of the sep arator 84; and their weight will overcome the weight 130 and the delivery platform will move downwardly, thus opening the switch 154. At the time the switch 154 is opened, the circuit to the motor 216 will be interrupted, and the circuit to the motor 46 will be interrupted at the switch 226 because the platform on the belt 60 tripped the switch 246 at the time another platform of the belt 60 released the second of the two articles for movement downwardly through the chute 72 and the discharge spout 78' into the container 120. The container 120, together with the form-retaining articles therein, will move downwardly and cause the rod 150 to engage and be held by the latch 142. Thereupon the operator will telescope another container 120 over the bottom of the discharge spout 78 and will then press downwardly on the pedal 138. The delivery platform will then rise upwardly and support the bottom of the container 120 adjacent the dis charge spout 78 and the circuit to the motor 216 will be closed. The feeder belt 174 and the feeder rollers 180 will then deliver another article to the receiving platform 220, thus closing switch 226. The motor 216 will stop and the motor 46 will start and one form-retaining article will be deposited in the container 120. This article will not have sufficient weight to overcome the weight 130, and therefore the switch 154 will remain closed. As the belt 60 moves, one of the platforms thereon will trip the switch 246 which will release the platform 220, through the medium of the electromagnetic coil 236 and the armature 234 and the latch 228, and the motor 216 will start and the motor 46 will stop. The feed belt and the feed rollers 174 and 180 will place another article on the receiving platform 220 and this will again close the switch 226. Thereupon the motor 216 will be stopped and the motor 46 will be started and a second article will be delivered to the discharge spout 78 and thus into the container 120. The switch 246 will be momentarily energized to release the receiving platform 220' and the delivery platform will be moved downwardly to break the circuit at switch 154. Thus the circuit provided by the present invention is released by the operator whenever he has a container telescoped over the discharge spout and it will automatically place two articles within the container 120 and cause the delivery platform to move downwardly and shut ofi? the circuit. Moreover, the packaging device itself causes the filled container 120 to roll down onto the belt 159 which will carry the container to a suitable folding and sealing machine.

The packaging machine provided by the present invention can use a cable and rollers to transmit the gravitational forces on the weight 130 to the delivery platform. However, it is desirable to use. sprocket wheels in place of the pulleys and to use a sprocket chain in place of the cable. The sprocket wheels and sprocket chain are capable of withstanding fiexingand wear to a'greater extentthan is the cable and the pulleys shown.

The container 120 can be a paper sack or bagand theform-retaining articles can be paper sacks or bags of about one half the volume of the container 120. In one embodiment of the present invention the containers are large paper sacks or bags and the form-retaining articles are smaller paper bags filled with flour.

Whereas the drawing and accompanying description have shown and described a preferred form of the present invention it should be apparent to those skilled in the:

art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a single container at opposite sides of said container and that comprises a conveyor, a plurality of article-supporting platforms on said conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said platforms of said conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, a deflector in said delivery chute that alternately directs articles to opposite sides of said discharge spout and thence into said opposite sides, and a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said delivery platform being biased for movement toward said discharge spout, the bias on said delivery platform being adapted to resist the added weight of one of said articles but to be overcome by the added weight of a plurality of said articles, said conveyor being an endless belt elevator and being inclined tothe vertical so articles carried on the said platforms thereof will be held against said belt and said platforms by gravitational forces, said conveyor having a guiding and confining frame to prevent accidental separation of articles on the said platforms of said conveyor from said platforms.

2. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a single container at opposite sides of said container and that comprises a conveyor, a plurality of article-supporting platforms on said conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said platforms of said conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, a deflector insaid delivery chute that alternately directs' articles toopposite sides of said discharge spout and thence into: said opposite sides, and a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permita container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said delivery platform being biased for movement toward said discharge spout, the bias on saiddelivery platform being adapted to resist the added weight of one of said articles but to be overcome by the added weight of a-plurality of said articles, said conveyor being an endless belt elevator and being inclined to the vertical so articles carried on the said platforms thereof will be held against said belt and said platforms by gravitational forces.

3. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a single container at opposite sides of said container and that comprises a conveyor, a plurality of article-supporting platforms on said conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said platforms of said conveyor, adischarge spout at the bottom of said chute, a deflector in said delivery chute that alternately directs articles to' opposite sides of said discharge spout and thence into said opposite sides, and-a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to'be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said delivery platform being biased for movement toward said discharge spout, the bias on said delivery platform being adapted to resist the added weight of one of said articles but to be overcome by the added weight of a plurality of said-articles.

4. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a single container at opposite sides of said container and-that comprises a conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said-conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, a deflector in said delivery chute that alternately directs articles to opposite sides of said discharge spout and thence into said opposite sides, and a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said delivery platform being biased for movement toward said discharge spout, the bias on said delivery platform being adapted to resist the added weight of one of said articles but to be overcome by the added weight of a plurality of said articles, said discharge spout having walls that incline toward each other to facilitate the telescoping of said container over said discharge spout and to guide articles into said container.

5. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a container and that comprises a conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said conevyor, a dis charge spout at the bottom of said chute, and a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said discharge spout having relatively movable Walls that are directed inwardly to facilitate the telescoping of a container over said discharge spout but are movable outwardly by articles passing through said discharge spout.

6. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a single container at opposite sides of said container and that comprises a conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, and a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said discharge spout having a partition to divide said discharge spout into two sections and a deflecting plate that alternatively directs articles into one and then the other of said sections and thence into said opposite sides.

7. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a container and that comprises a conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, and a movable i delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said discharge spout having a partition to divide said discharge spout into two sections and a deflecting plate that alternatively directs articles into one and then the other of said sections, said partition being fixed and said discharge spout having walls that are movable relative to said partition, said movable walls being inclined toward said partition but being movable outwardly by articles passing between said walls and said partition.

8. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of formretaining articles in a single container at opposite sides of said container and that comprises a conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, said discharge spout having a movable deflecting plate that alternately directs articles into said opposite sides, a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout,

and a latch that selectively holds said delivery platform spaced from said discharge spout, said delivery platform being biased toward said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout when said latch is tripped, the bias on said delivery platform being less than the added weight of two of said articles, whereby the movement of two of said articles into said container will overcome said bias and move said delivery platform away from said discharge spent and into position to be latched.

9. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a container and that comprises a conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, and a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said delivery platform having a section of roller conveyor pivoted thereto, said section of roller conveyor being pivotable to direct said container off of said delivery platform.

10. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a container and that comprises a conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said conveyor, a discharge spout at the bottom of said chute, and a movable delivery platform, said delivery platform being movable away from said discharge spout to permit a container to be telescoped over said discharge spout and being movable toward said discharge spout to hold said container telescoped over said discharge spout, said delivery platform having a section of roller conveyor pivoted thereto, said section of roller conveyor being pivotable to direct said container off of said delivery platform, and a stop that responds to movement of said delivery platform away from said discharge spout to pivot said section of roller conveyor.

11. A packaging machine that can place a plurality of form-retaining articles in a container and that comprises a conveyor, a plurality of article-supporting platforms on said conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said platforms of said conveyor, and a plurality of rotatable rollers adjacent said conveyor, said rotatable rollers being spaced apart and being adapted to pass articles tberebetween while squeezing said articles to a predetermined width, said container having a width that is just larger than an integral multiple of said predetermined Width, said platforms of said conveyor being selectively registerable with said rollers, and said rollers being rotatable to urge said articles on to said platforms, said conveyor and delivery chute directing said articles to said container without substantially varying said predetermined width.

12. In a packaging machine that can place a plurality of forrn-retaining articles in a container and that has a continuous-type conveyor, 21 motor to drive said conveyor, a plurality of article-supporting platforms on said conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said platforms of said conveyor, a receiving platform adjacent said conveyor, and a feeding device to urge articles onto said receiving platform, the improvement that comprises a pivot for said receiving platform, a switch that energizes said motor and that is adjacent said receiving platform and that is actuated by downward movement of said platform, a latch that releasably holds said receiving platform in downward position, and a device that responds to movement of said conveyor to trip said latch and free said receiving platform for movement away from said downward position, said receiving platform being movable to said downward position by one of said articles, said article being lifted from said receiving platform by one of said platforms on said conveyor, and said tripping device thereafter tripping said latch.

13. In a packaging machine that can place a plurality of form retaining articles in a container and that has a conveyor, a motor to drive said c-mveyor, a plurality of article-supporting platforms on said conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said platforms of said conveyor, a receiving platform adjacent said conveyor, and a feeding device to urge articles onto said receiving platform, the improvement that comprises a second motor for said feeding device, a switch that closes whenever an article is on said receiving platform, a latch releasably holding said switch closed, a device that responds to predetermined movement of said conveyor to release said switch, and a circuit that normally energizes said second motor while de-energizing the first said motor but that responds to closure of said switch to stop said second motor and to energize the first said motor.

14. In a packaging machine that can place a plurality of form retaining articles in a container and that has a conveyor, a motor to drive said conveyor, a plurality of article-supporting platforms on said conveyor, a delivery chute for said conveyor that receives and delivers articles from said platforms of said conveyor, a receiving platform adjacent said conveyor, and a feeding device to urge articles onto said receiving platform, the improvement that comprises a delivery platform that is movable toward and away from said delivery chute, a switch that is closed whenever said delivery platform is moved toward said delivery chute but is open whenever said delivery platform is movable away from said delivery chute, said delivery platform being movable away from said delivery chute whenever a plurality of said articles are in a container on said delivery platform, a second motor for said feeding device, a switch that closes whenever an article is on said receiving platform, a latch releasably holding said switch closed, a device that responds to predetermined movement of said conveyor to release said switch, said switch adjacent said delivery platform selectively energizing said second motor, and said switch adjacent said receiving platform selectively energizing the first said motor while stopping said second motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 448,238 Johnson Mar. 17, 1891 812,335 Ferguson et al. Feb. 13, 1906 985,829 Wickerson Mar. 7, 1911 1,114,454 Fetrow et al. Oct. 20, 1914 1,187,098 Robertson June 13, 1916 1,249,613 Gamper Dec. 11, 1917 1,348,592 Sparks Aug. 3, 1920 1,361,294 Tschaeche Dec. 7, 1920 1,849,385 Sekulski Mar. 15, 1932 1,954,278 Adams Apr. 10, 1934 2,130,323 Lueckel Sept. 13, 1938 2,204,162 Smith et a1 June 11, 1940 2,670,888 Avila Mar. 2, 1954 

